Contact Jim Frimmer for all your San Diego real estate needsI received a very nice message from Mary Newill of the National Association of Realtors concerning my blog post about properly using the term "Realtor."

The General Counsel of the Association had sent her a link to that post, and apparently everyone was happy to see us discussing proper use of the term Realtor.

Although I thought I had corrected the uses in my blog post and in my profile, apparently this is also incorrect:

If you need a great Realtor in San Diego...

Basically, the term Realtor should never be used as a generic synonym for real estate agent, real estate broker, real estate salesperson, or real estate as a profession. It should only be used to identify someone's membership in the National Association of Realtors.

According to Ms. Newill, the Trademark Manual has a short test to ensure that you are using Realtor properly. Simply substitute the word "member" for "Realtor" in the sentence or phrase you are using it in, and if it retains your intended meaning, it would most likely be correct.

So if we go back and look at "If you need a great Realtor in San Diego" and substitute member for Realtor, we can see that it makes no sense. Therefore it is improper.

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If you're looking for a great real estate agent in San Diego, well,
let me Google one for you.

I'm available 24/7, so feel free to contact me by phone or email.

Jim Frimmer, Realtor
Century 21 Award Mission Valley
California DRE License #01458572
619-729-5701
jimfrimmer@century21award.com
Mission Valley Condos Information

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If you're looking for a great real estate agent in San Diego, well,
let me Google one for you.

I'm available 24/7, so feel free to contact me by phone or email.

Jim Frimmer, Realtor
Century 21 Award Mission Valley
California DRE License #01458572
619-729-5701
jimfrimmer@century21award.com
Mission Valley Living

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Post is included in group: Active Rain Block Party
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Post is included in group: Realtors®

39 Comments on More on properly using the word "Realtor"

20 Most Recent Comments Displayed Show All

JUN
26
2010
484,882 Points 5 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Called Shot Master

What a great way to see if you are using it in the correct way. Simple. Thanks for letting us all in!
2:47pm • #20

Jim,

Are you ready to cancel your membership??? Egads!
2:49pm • #21

Too, too picky -- bordering on ridiculous!!! We have bigger things to worry about - I try to be correct but I think I will just be a 'real estate agent.'
3:54pm • #22
174,297 Points 4 Featured Posts Called Shot Master

I agree with Doug, respose #4...Sure am glad we have our priorities in order!  Yes I am proud to be a member....Yes, I think their (association execs) time could be better spent helping their members that....Oh by the way...pay their salary!  W
hich we...the members don't collect...we get paid when we produce!
4:05pm • #23
451,030 Points 10 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Then this mistake is made on a daily basis by a great many people, yours truly included. In fact, using the substitution of "member" for "Realtor" test, doesn't NAR's own advertising constitute improper use? Their TV ad says at the end, "Call a Realtor today". Does "Call a member today" make any sense? Should they instead say "Call a real estate agent today"? I'm confused...
4:35pm • #24
291,821 Points 15 Featured Posts

Gee, NAR put it to us when they helped launch realtor.com, whihc in my opinion was a scam. I know they are not an individual member of NAR but this really irratates me that they can use this word this way. If it was so important to protect the trademark then this is a glaring inconsistency. When realtor.com goes out of business and I hope it will soon, then some justice will be done.
4:38pm • #25
762,099 Points 106 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

ActiveRain got you that attention.  Isn't that great?
4:47pm • #26
413,687 Points 88 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Inna, you will regret your idea. I will write an NAR politically correct ad and make you read it. I will not be shy, I will email it to you and expect you to endorse it in public. Or maybe we should sic one of the talented guys on it. Maybe we could have a jingle contest.

Jim, I used to report to the most lovely man: a senior exec with 40 years at IBM, decorated navy man, UofV alumnus. Everything he said was delivered in a precise southern drawl -- the Charleston drawl, it's called. In any case, we ran marketing for a new division in a very traditional company. EVERYTHING we did was scrutinized, criticized, argued about and picked at by 55,000 people in 47 countries . Oh, and the $x00,000 product didn't work and wasn't likely to any time soon.

"Darlin", he would say when I was close to tears, "it is better to be looked over than to be overlooked. Get back out there and keep doing that voo doo that you do so well."

So Jim, in the case of the how and when to use the word Realtor, I will lend you Dick's words and also say "congrats"!

 

 
5:43pm • #27
504,847 Points 26 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

I'd really rather NAR work on a Health Care Plan for us Realtors®
6:38pm • #28
1,156,873 Points 17 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Great post Jim and congrats on the feature, did I see your name mentioned on my latest post?

VB ;-)
8:13pm • #29

Dilbert would be proud of the NAR lady who wastes our dues (= her salary) on such frivolous pursuits
Anon
11:16pm • #30
196,286 Points 9 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Jim, Thanks for making us aware of the proper use of the term Realtor. Although I think now I'm more confused than ever. So if I say Paige Walker, Realtor would that be correct? Real Estate agents everywhere have cards printed in that format. But Paige Walker, Member ?? Not sure that make sense. Oops that won't pass the test??
11:46pm • #31
JUN
27
2010
987,427 Points 81 Featured Posts Called Shot Master

Amazing that you got that attention from your post on Active Rain Jim.
12:40am • #32
200,002 Points 16 Featured Posts Called Shot Master

Jim, will this work:  "Top Producing Member for all your needs"?
1:31am • #33
177,717 Points 25 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

you always have to protect your trademarks or risk losing them!
1:42am • #34
284,741 Points 9 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

I disagree with #31 above.  It is NOT a waste of our dues for this to be pursued.  We pay dearly for NAR membership, and for the use of the word REALTOR.   I think it was very cool that they got in touch with you.
1:40pm • #35
307,045 Points 9 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

I am with Doug up above.....glad that NAR is fighting the good fight.
8:25pm • #36
JUN
28
2010
413,687 Points 88 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Inna, you really are poking away at this, aren't you?
1:11am • #37
200,002 Points 16 Featured Posts Called Shot Master

Leslie - nope, not at all.  Just trying to find that perfect pitch for the next realtor member billboard...

PS: welcome, unoficially, to the mean girl club.
2:04am • #38
JUL
28
2010
1,057,134 Points 27 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Hey, everyone!

Thanks for stopping by and commenting.

I don't think I ever realized that this post got a little gold star.

I've been very busy, but today I'm trying to follow up on these older posts like this one to see if anyone had any questions or if I really need to respond to anyone's comments.

I will read all the comments and respond to any that need a response, but since this post is rather old, rather than making comments here in my post to each and every one of you, I'll just let everyone know that I have read all the comments and if there are any questions, I'll answer those in comments below this one. Otherwise I'll simply post this comment and then head over to your blogs soon to visit and do some reading and commenting. I hope you'll have a nice welcome mat out for me!

Don't forget to let your cat come out to play with all the other ActiveRain kitties. Your cat-friendly dogs can come, too!

If you need a great cat book, get yourself a copy of Peg Silloway's The Cat Lover's Book of Days.

Hope all is well with everyone.
9:37am • #39

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